Layers Green Lake
Sandwich shop · Green Lake ·
Handcrafted sandwiches, pastries, and rotating specials near Green Lake
Handcrafted sandwiches, pastries, and rotating specials near Green Lake
"The Reubens and Dragons Reuben riff’s pastrami made me feel like a moron, because I would describe it as… meaty? Extra meaty? It tastes deep and dark-red, like it came from the body of an animal, and I wanted to take it out of the sandwich and eat it by itself to figure out what was going on with it. Layers doesn’t make its own pastrami — it no longer bakes its own bread either — but co-owner Avery Hardin is a wizard at assembling top-flight ingredients into novel twists on classic sandwiches. This one subs spicy-sweet kimchi slaw for the usual sauerkraut and swaps melted Tillamook cheddar for Swiss cheese. It’s a messy (and yes, meaty) wintry treat — get it while it’s still on the menu." - Harry Cheadle
"Opposite Green Lake, this charming little shop has evolved from a 2019 food truck into a destination for artfully composed sandwiches made with high-end ingredients, now priced around $18. Recent standouts have included the I’d Date a Jalapeño, a grilled cheese sweetened and spiced with dates and jalapeños, and a Korean-ish riff on a Reuben that pairs meaty, rich pastrami with sweet-and-spicy kimchi slaw; the bread now comes from reliable Grand Central Bakery. One item never leaves the menu: the griddled banana bread—crunchy and a bit salty on the outside, gooey inside—for a not-too-sweet finish, and there’s a kids’ menu with basics like a cashew butter and jam sandwich. A couple of always-in-season standbys remain, like the Captain Rick, which matches a dill-y tuna salad with smokey barbecue potato chips, but the lineup is among the most fluid in the city—check Instagram and don’t expect it to stay the same month to month or even week to week. Summer can bring lines and parking hassles; colder months are markedly calmer." - Harry Cheadle
"One of the few destination restaurants of Green Lake, this is Ashley and Avery Hardin’s ode to what a sandwich can be. A grilled cheese with jalapenos and dates? Crispy pork belly paired with Fresno pepper jelly and chicories? A banh mi riff that features Fra’Mani’s high-end salami as the star ingredient? The menu and its ever-changing specials contain multitudes. If your favorite sandwich is no longer on the menu, just get whatever the new special is, and maybe you’ll have a new favorite." - Harry Cheadle
"There are lots of great sandwiches around town, but not too many fancy ones. At Layers, the sandwiches take themselves seriously—kind of like that one friend of yours who has a handlebar mustache. You'll find barbecue potato chips smushed onto tuna salad, mortadella on a dutch crunch roll, and duck confit buddying up with fried eggs. On the side, things are just as serious, like green goddess-drenched fried fingerlings that momentarily steal the spotlight from the between-bread stuff. It doesn’t get much better than a lazy midday at this busy Green Lake counter. Just don't forget a slice of griddled banana bread on your way out." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"There are two main reasons to head to Green Lake: making good on a goal to walk more, and grabbing a great sandwich at Layers. This sun-filled counter serves between-bread beauties that are totally worth the chaotic line and upscale price tag. The menu is full of hits like the Notorious P.I.G, with delicate pork belly slabs and a sticky fresno pepper jelly, or their Captain Rick, loaded with herby tuna salad and a handful of BBQ-flavored potato chips. While you’re here, be sure to secure a slice of grilled banana bread, too." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley